Missing person case under investigation at northwest Minnesota farm

HITTERDAL, Minn. - On a hot and sunny day in northwestern Minnesota, a search was underway at a farmstead for a missing person from southeastern North Dakota.

Written By:
Raju Chaduvula |
Jun 21st 2018 - 8pm.

HITTERDAL, Minn. – On a hot and sunny day in northwestern Minnesota, a search was underway at a farmstead for a missing person from southeastern North Dakota.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was helping search the area around a farm outside Hitterdal in connection with a missing person case out of Wahpeton, N.D., Chief Deputy Stephen Landsem said Thursday, June 21.

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Law enforcement officers had been at the scene near Minnesota Highway 32 since Wednesday, June 20, Sheriff Bill Bergquist said.

Officers were using a drone to search the premises. Multiple agencies are involved in the investigation, including the Wahpeton Police Department, Norman County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Authorities declined to release additional information about the missing person case, including the identity of the person, when that person was last seen, and what led them to search the farmstead outside Hitterdal.

While details were scant Thursday, the online Clay County Jail roster offered a possible clue.

The roster listed two inmates anonymously as “John Doe” and “Jane Doe.” Typically, the roster lists the names of inmates.

What’s also atypical is that for Jane Doe, in the space where charges are usually listed, it said “sudden death/body found.” For John Doe, the roster listed “search warrant” in the charges category.

What all this means is unclear, and whether it has any tie to the missing person case is unknown. Law enforcement officials have not released any information on whether a body has been found at the farmstead or elsewhere.

Jane Doe was booked into the jail at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, and John Doe was booked at 2:51 a.m. Thursday. Both inmates were arrested by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, according to the roster.

On Thursday afternoon, news reporters were not allowed near the investigation scene and waited to speak with law enforcement officials at a makeshift meeting point just over a mile from the farmhouse.